This invention relates to a golf ball marking guide that partially encapsulates a golf ball and, in the preferred embodiment, allows a golfer to easily mark a variety of straight lines and line patterns on the cover of a golf ball using a permanent ink marker. A golfer would then utilize the marking as an alignment aide while putting.
Many golfers utilize some marking on the golf ball to help with alignment, most commonly while putting. For example, on a straight putt, a golfer might aim a line on the golf ball directly towards the hole. This way when a golfer is standing over a putt, the golfer knows that the marking on the ball is pointed at the target and the golfer can then focus more on aligning the putter face with perceived target line and the speed of the putt. Lines and patterns can also be used to assist with alignment or execution of shots other than putts.
Among the variety of line combinations which golfers wish to mark on golf balls is a pattern consisting of two or more lines. In one instance the first such line corresponds to the equator of the golf ball and occupies 180 degrees or more and even up to 210 or 220 degrees of the golf ball circumference. The second line is non-equatorial, and is perpendicular to the first line. This allows the golfer to set the ball on the ground with the lines positioned so that the appearance of a xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d is presented when viewed from above. The first line of the xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d points toward the target, and the second line, perpendicular to the first line, advises the golfer of the precise position the club face should be in when aligning the shot. There are other patterns of interest which require drawing at least one non-equatorial line on the golf ball.
Currently golfers use different types of markings on their golf ball as alignment aides while putting: the manufacturer""s logo, lines that were drawn freehanded using a permanent ink marker, and, more recently, lines drawn with aid of stencils.
Manufacturers"" logos often are too small to be seen on the golf ball from a variety of locations on the putting surface if the golfer chooses to survey a putting attempt from more than one location on the green.
Hand drawn lines also tend to be relatively small and not straight. One main reason for this is the difficulty involved in drawing a perfectly straight line traveling half the circumference of a spherical object having hundreds of dimples on its surface. If the end result of a freehanded attempt is a line that is anything except perfectly straight, the golfer is essentially using a crooked line on the golf ball, compromising the line""s effectiveness as an alignment aide. In view of the round shape of a golf ball, and in view of the dimples thereon, many golfers find drawing a straight line difficult, if not impossible. It is especially difficult to mark a straight line covering a significant portion of the circumference of a golf ball.
More recently stencils have become available such as those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,004,223, 6,213,012, and 6,216,587. Among the shortcomings of these devices is that they do not provide perpendicular line indicators, nor do they provide a means for readily drawing non-equatorial lines, nor do they provide a means for readily drawing non-equatorial lines perpendicular to equatorial lines.
In his book entitled The Putting Bible, pages 266-268, David Pelz discusses a golf ball stencil and its intended use. The Pelz product is capable marking a non equatorial line on a golf ball, but only by a complex system that requires four lines on the ball.
It is an object of the invention to provide golfers a golf ball marking method and marking guide enabling long, straight, clean lines to be easily marked on a golf ball, as well as non-equatorial lines which are perpendicular to equatorial lines.
Briefly, therefore, the invention is directed to a golf ball marking guide for use in making alignment markings on a golf ball. The guide has a shell having an inner surface generally defining a portion of a sphere having a center of curvature and adapted for receiving a portion of a golf ball so that the inner surface substantially conforms thereto. The shell has a first peripheral guide edge for guiding marking of the golf ball and a second peripheral guide edge for guiding marking of the golf ball. The second peripheral guide edge is generally perpendicular to the first peripheral guide edge and positioned so that an arc having a constant radius from the center of curvature and extending from a center of the first peripheral guide edge to a center of the second peripheral guide edge has an angular extent greater than 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees. This arrangement facilitates the marking of a first line on the golf ball and a second line on the golf ball which second line is non-equatorial and perpendicular to said first line.
The invention is also directed to a golf ball marking guide for use in making alignment markings on a golf ball. The guide has a shell having an inner surface generally defining a portion of a sphere having a center of curvature and adapted for receiving a portion of a golf ball so that the inner surface substantially conforms thereto. The shell has a first peripheral guide edge for guiding marking of the golf ball and a second peripheral guide edge for guiding marking of the golf ball. The second peripheral guide edge is generally perpendicular to the first peripheral guide edge. The inner surface is sized to overlie a portion of the golf ball surface area which is greater than one fourth and less than one half thereby to facilitate the marking of a first line on the golf ball and a second line on the golf ball which second line is non-equatorial and perpendicular to said first line.
In another aspect the invention is a golf ball marking guide which has a shell having an inner surface generally defining a portion of a sphere having a center of curvature and adapted for receiving a portion of a golf ball so that the inner surface substantially conforms thereto. The shell has a first peripheral guide edge for guiding marking of the golf ball and a second peripheral guide edge for guiding marking of the golf ball. The second peripheral guide edge is generally perpendicular to the first peripheral guide edge. The body has an outer surface with indicia thereon to facilitate alignment of the marking guide relative to a line previously marked on the golf ball for use in marking of a first line and a second line, which second line is perpendicular to the first line.
The invention also encompasses a golf ball marking guide having a first guide edge for guiding marking of the golf ball and a second guide edge for guiding marking of the golf ball, wherein the first guide edge defines a first circular opening for receiving and seating the golf ball in a first position for marking, the second guide edge defines a second circular opening for receiving the golf ball and seating the golf ball in a second position for marking, the first circular opening has a first opening diameter which is smaller than the golf ball diameter, and the second opening has a second opening diameter which is smaller than the first opening diameter.